The Savvy Technologist

Ticketing systems for tech support (and more)

Over the past year our district’s tech support department has come to rely on our ticketing system more and more. We use Request Tracker, a free and open source, Web-based tech support product that has Web and email interfaces. What began as an experiment has become an integral part of our district’s technology infrastructure.

Each of our schools has its own email address for tech support requests. Teachers and other staff simply send an email message to that address describing the problem and a ticket is automatically created in the RT database. The building tech support person then gets an email notification for each new ticket and the teacher gets an email “receipt” so they know that the information was received. The teachers like it because they know that their requests haven’t been lost. The techs love it because it helps them avoid the dreaded “hallway ambush” where a teacher corners them about a tech problem and expects them to remember every detail until they get back to their desk to write it down.

We’ve found lots of other uses for Request Tracker too. The Buildings and Grounds Department is starting to use it for their requests and we hope to eliminate the “fill out in quadruplicate” work order forms entirely. Now we’re building a system to process technology purchases so the tech support staff in the buildings aren’t surprised when new equipment arrives. It will also help us ensure that the technology is appropriate for the curriculum and compatible with our computers and network.

Top notch tech support is absolutely crucial if teachers are going be confident enough in their technology systems to be innovative with their curriculum. I saw an example of this recently when we were having some stability issues with our student file server. It only took one bad experience for many teachers to put their technology plans on hold. Unfortunately, it takes much longer to build confidence than it does to ruin it.

There are dozens of ticketing systems to choose from (many of them free), but the important point is that any organization that relies on technology needs a system like RT. I guarantee it will improve the tech support in your school or district and encourage teachers to use technology more frequently.

Tags: Open source